Steam engine



March 6, 1928.

F. J. POWELL STEAM ENGINE Filed Auz. 13. 1924 :5 Sheets-Shed 1 MM QN mma Wm 3 5 3 Inventor: FR ED JPO'W Noun March 6, 1928.

F. J. POWELL STEAM ENGINE I Filed Aug. 13. 1924 3 Sheets-shat 2 JPowmzp.

Patented Mar. 6, 1928? UNITED STATES PATENT F-FIcI-J,

rm J. rownnn, or .nntomn, ARIZONA.

STEAM ENGINE.

Application fled August 13,1924. Serial no, 731311.

The present invention has for its purpose to provide, in asteam engineconstruction,

means for "operating a slide valve which in turn controls the actions ofa balance valve and the feed of the steam to opposite sides of thepiston.

Another purpose is to provide a steam engine including a piston steamcylinder with a piston therein and a balanced valve 101- controlling theentrance of steam upon opposite sides of the piston, together with aslide valve (which includes a steam chest) ance valve and slide valvecasings in sec lines. v

Figure 3 a sectional view on line 3+3 of,

for controlling the steam to opposite ends of the balanced valve, inconjunction with a rocker mechanism with a looseness of play in saidmechanism for operating the slide valve through the medium of the pistonrod, it being obvious that any suitable device (not shown) may beconnected to the purpose of receivingpiston rodfor the power therefrom.I c.

It is to be understood that the particulars herein given are in no waylimitative and that, while still keeping within the scope of theinvention, any desired modifications of detail and desired proportionsmay be inade according to the circumtion with the .valvesin elevationand partly in section, illustrating the piston in dotted Figure 1.

igure 4 is an enlar" perspective view of the rocker connecti betweenthe; is- .ton rod and the slide valve rod, taken on e 4-4 of Figure 1.sf th 5isaperspectiveviewo e an valve removed fromthe Referring to.thedrawings, 1 designates a frame and 2 denotes a steam cylinder, the

frame 1 being connected in: conventional manner-zip one of the heads ofthe cylinder. Mounted in the cylinder and operablethroughtheboxaofaconventional :cylinder. The ends of theiaep'ntlcnrodtinclndingaIjvitl 'tl1e piston ,5 which operates in thecylinder 2.

The piston is supplied with the usual packing rings 6.

A balance valve casing 7 ismounted upon the cylinder casing and securedthereto in any conventional manner; This casing has a chamber; 8preferably cylindrical and mounted 'therein for reciprocating move mentsis a balance valve 9. In constructing the casing 7, the bore is madenormally open ended. IfIowever, after lacing the balance valve "9 1nposition in; t e chamber 8, the

ends of the chamber are closed b the heads 10. ;Infact, the open ends oft e chamber are counterbored and tap ed whereby the heads 10 may bethreaded in place by using a suitable spanner wrench or other device(not shown). The opposite notches 11 of the heads 10 act to receive thejaws of the spanner wrench to turn the heads home.

The balance valve 9 is preferably cylindrical and has a centralcontracted neck 12,

the provision of which causes a space 13 to bev formed for the purposeof taking care of the exhaust "steam whereby it may pass out through theexhaust passage 14. The opposite. ends of the balance valve havechambers 15 and 16, the ends of which are closed by the threaded plugs17 'which are also turned home by means of a spanner wrench, the jaws ofwhich engage with the notches or-depressions 1'8.- The opposite ends ofthe balance valve also have annular grooves 19 and 20 arranged in airs.The grooves of each pair are space to insure proper register with the'steam passages on ports 21 and 22 which communicate the chamber 8 withthe interior 23 of the steam passages terminate at positions adjacentthe heads of the cylin er and cooperate with the The casing 7 whichcontains the balance valve has a steam intake assage or 24, branches 25and 26 ofjw ich commumcate ,cylinder whereb steam may be allowed toenter: the piston.

with the chamber 8. 5 The ends of the i branches 25 and 26 arediagonally opposite where the ends of the passages21 and 22 communicatewith the chamber 8. In fact, the ends of the passages #25 and 26 areofiset from the inlet ends bf the passages 21' and 22 a distance equalto the spacing of the annular grooves 19 and 20 sothat when one of thegrooves 20 of the balance valve registers 21, one of the-groovcs 19"will register with the passage 25, in which case certain of the grooves19 and 20 are entirely out of registration with the passages 22 and 26and thereby permit steam to enter the left hand end of the cylinder 2for the purpose of operating the piston in the direction of the arrow a.When one of the grooves 20 registers with the passage 22 and one of therooves 19 with the passage 26, the other said rooves 19 and 20 are outof registration wit passages 21 and 25. In this case, steam is permittedto pass through the passage 22 and into the right hand end of thecylinder 2 where the steam may act upon the opposite side and move thepiston in the direction of the arrow 5.

The grooves 19 have openings or ports 27 which permit the steam to enterthe chambars and 16, so that it, in turn, may ass alternately throughthe passages 21 am 22, when the grooves alternately register with thebranches 25-and 26. The grooves 20 also have openings or ports 27communicating the grooves with the chambers 15 and 16. It will be notedthat the steam alternately acts upon opposite sides of the piston 5, thesteam having been alternately transmitted to and through the passages 21and 22 through the medium of the opposite ends of the balance valve. y

The balance valve is steam actuated due to the provision of a steamchest 28 being connected in a conventional manner to one side of thecasing 7, as shown in the plan view, there being bolts 29 passingthrough the steam chest 28 and into the casing 7 to not only secure thetwo together but also to retain the cover or head '30 in position. Thesteam chest has a steam chamber 31 including a slide valve 32 ofconventional design and connecting the steam chamber 31 and the chamber8 of the casing 7 are pas sages 33 and 34. The passages 33 and 34communicate with the chamber 8 of the casing 7 adjacent its remote endswhereby steam is gsermitted to co-operate with the opposite en of thebalance valve. The ends of the passages 33 and 34 where they communicatewith the chamber 31 are so spaced as to permit the slide valve 32 toalternately uncover them and connect each with the chamber 31alternately. A port or passage 35 communicates the passage 24 with thechamber 31 of the steamchest 28, there being an exhaust port 36communicating the chamber 31 and the main exhaust 14, thereby permittingthe steam from the passages 33 and 34 to-ex haust through the sameexhaust port as the steam which exhausts from the cylinder 2.

The slide valve 32 has a slide valve rod 37 which passes through aconventional stufiing box 38 and is, in turn, connected adjustably at 39-to a slide 40 which is mounted for reciprocating movement in guides 41of a bracket 42. The slide 40 is recessed centrally and engaging withthis recess 43 is a roller 44 which is carried upon the upper end of arocker arm 45 which is fulcrumed at 46 to the bracket 42. The roller 44is of such a diameter as to remain out of contact with the end walls orshoulders ofthe recess 43 as long as the rocker arm remains in a.perpendicular position. Thispermits the roller 44 to engage with the endwalls of the shoulders of the recess 43 as the rocker arm 45 approachesthe end of its rocking movement.

The bracket 42 is mounted at 47 upon the frame 1. The piston rod is,,inturn, provided with. a flanged sleeve 48 which is made fast to thepiston rod in any conventional way. The lower end of the long arm of therocker 45 terminates in an offset 49 which interposes between the twoflanges of the sleeve 48, there being a roller 50 carried by the offsetend and cooperating with the end flanges.

Upon movement of the piston 5 in the cylinder 2, movement is transmittedto the piston rod 4 which imparts an oscillatory movement to the rocker45. At the end of the movement of the rocker 45, the roller 44 engageswith one-of the shoulders or walls of the recess 43 and thereby impartsmovement to the slide valve rod, thereby shifting the slide valve 32 topermit steam to enter one or the other of the passages 33 and 34. Shouldsteam be admitted through the passage 34, it cooperates with the righthand end of the balance valve, imparting movement to it in the directionof the arrow 0 which will cause a shifting of the balance valve to movecertain of the grooves 19 and 20 out of register with the passages 25and 21 and move certain other of the grooves 19 and 20 in register withthe passages 26 and 22 to permit steam to enter the cylinder 2 andcooperate with the right hand face of the piston 5. A reverse of thesteam through the passage 33 will cause a reverse movement of thebalance valve and a reverse admission of steam through the assa e 21.These cycles of operation coor inate y repeat and thereby impartmovement to the piston rod.

The bracket 42 constitutes a guide for the slide valve rod' 37. Therocker arm which receives motion from the piston rod moves the slide 40and in turn imparts movement to the slide valve as the piston approachesthe end of its stroke. The steam enters the steam chest through the portor passage 35. The steam from the main ort passes throu h the balancevalve and enters the cylin er.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed is: c

1. A steam engine comprising a steam cylinder with a piston operabletherein, the 83: ton including a piston rod, a steam cham a balancevalve controlling communication between the steam chamber and the stemcylinder, a casing for the balance valve and having ports ofcommunication with the steam chamber and the steam cylinder, a slidevalve, inthe steam chamber for controlling the steam passing throu h theports of communication with the bzfiance valve casing, the balance valveacting to control the steam passing through the ports comd municatingwith the steam cylinder, a'rod carried by the slide valve, a slidecarried bv the slide valve rod with a substantial elongated recess onone side, a guide frame for the slide, a pair of spaced annularShoulders on the piston rod, a lever pivoted on the guide frame, thelower end thereof carryi a wheel operatin between said annular soulders, and a wheel on the upper end of the lever, and of a diameterless than the length of said recess so as to be normally spaced from theshoulders defining the ends of the recess.

2. In a steam engine, the combination with a steam cylinder and a steamchamber, of a balance valve casing connecting the steam chamber and thecylinder with ports of communication connecting thecasing and thecylinder, ports connecting the steam chamber and the interior of thecasing, a slide valve in the steam chamber, a steam intake with branchports connecting with the interior of the balance valvecasing, a balancevalve with chambers in its opposite ends mounted in the balance valvecasing, the balance valve having exterior annular grooves to registeralternately with. the branch ports and the ports leading to the steamcylinder, the balance valve having radial ports connecting the groovesand the end chambers, said steam cylinder having an exhaust port commonto the steam chamber, said balance valve having a central reduced ortionwhich cooperates with the ports leading to the steam cylinder and at alltimes registering with the exhaust port, and a piston operable in thesteam cylinder and operatively connected to the slide valve.

3. A steam engine comprising a 'steamcylinder with a piston operabletherein, the

. iston includin a iston roda balance valve casing 'on the cylinder withports communicating with the interior of the latter at the opposite endsthereof, a steam chamber on the side of the balance valve casing, whichcasing has a steam intake with branch ports communicating with theinterior of the balance valve casing and a port oficommunication withthe steam chamber, which steam chamber has passages of communicationwith the opposite ends of the balance valve casing to permit theentrance of steam for actuating the balance valve, a slide valve in thesteam chamber to control the steam passing through the ports leading tothe balance valve casing, a balance valve withchambers in its oppositeends mounted in the balancevalve casing, the exterior of the balancevalve having annular grooves to register alternately with the branchports of the steam intake and the ports leading to the steam cylinder,the ha I i ance valve havmg radial ports connecting the grooves and theend chambers of the balance valve, said steam cylinder and easing havinan exhaust port common to the steam cham er and the steam cylinder, saidbalance valve having a central reduced portion which cooperates with theports leading to the steam cylinder and at all times registering withthe exhaust port FRED J. POWELL. Y

